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* The Guitar of Doom
Friday, July 27, 2012 at 5:46PM | The Guitar of Doom by Gustavo, spanish text below
Today is an emotional day, as I reunited with an old friend that I had not seen for a long time. Back in Uruguay, I had a guitar made by a local Luthier, "Vargas", who made an amazing reproduction of a Gibson SG guitar, on steroids....the guitar had a Gibson PAF and Dimarzio XN pickup that made it sound like dynamite. I got it used in 1986 from my teacher, Alberto "el Cortina" Rojas. The guitar was already 2 or 3 years old. With it I learned, traveled, gigged continuously, taught and did my first steps through advanced tapping that brought me later to get a Stick and later a Warr Guitar.
Once we arrived in Montreal, the very dry weather (particularly during the winter) got the best out of the instrument, and the wood shrunk to make the guitar unplayable....I could feel the frets exposed below and above the neck....a disaster. I got a JS-100 Ibanez guitar that kept me going, and then when I got my Warr I sort of forgot about playing the guitar.
Two years ago, cleaning up a closet, I found the guitar again. When I opened the case I could really see how damaged and neglected the poor beast was....shrunk, battled, hit everywhere... yet when I tried it, it sang as it did years before, a good mix between tenderness and Godzilla-earthquake power. So I decided to repair it.... sort of bringing it back from this Purgatory sentence. For this I contacted Stephane Denis from Atelier de Luthierie SD here in Montreal. I told him that I was not in any hurry, that he could take his time. We had to repair the body, patch the ebony fretboard, fill several holes, change frets, change the bridge, change the tuners, strings, clean the electronics, etc.
Last week Stephane called me, after several "updates" we had throughout the wait. Steph told me that he had to get this done, as he was very ill and this would be the last instrument he delivered to his last customer, as he is sailing into uncharted waters and he was unsure he would be able to do this ever again.... very sad, very emotional situation.
Today I went to his studio to pick up the guitar. It was painted in opaque black, and it is now a half breed between a vintage and futuristic axe. Below you will see a couple of pictures from this guitar "best years" rocking the @&$* out of the audience, and then now, a more mature look, at the hands of an older guy, but ready to continue rocking on. Because of this crazy trip, I am baptizing this guitar "The Guitar of Doom", and I wil be learning some chops again to make it sing as it did back in the 80's when I first got it.
With the protection of my brother Diego, back in 1988? during the Parque Rock-Do, with Post Coito
Tapping during a concert in "The Tinglado", somewhere close to 1990, long hair!!!!!
Trying some chops now, way less hair, but with the same or more energy than ever
Reunited with an old, very dear friend
Thank you Beatriz for taking the photos back then, and the ones now!!!
La guitarra del fin del mundo
Hoy a sido un dia muy emocionante, me pude reunir con una vieja amiga que hacia tiempo que no veia. Cuando vivia en Uruguay, tenia una guitarra hecha por un Luthier de Montevideo ("Vargas") que pudo hacer una reproduccion de una Guibson SG, pero cargada de esteroides. La guitarra tenia como microfonos un Gibson PAF y un Dimarzio XN que la hacian sonar como una explosion de dinamita. La viola la compre de segunda mano en 1986 a mi profesor Alberto "El Cortina" Rojas. La guitarra ya tenia 2 o 3 años cuando me volvi su propietario. Con ella aprendi, viaje, toque en cuanto recital se me cruzo, enseñe a mil alumnos, y probe mis primeros pasos en el mundo del Tapping... tecnica que mas tarde me preparo para empezar con el Stick y la Warr Guitar
Cuando llegamos a Montreal (1994), el clima super seco (particularmente durante el invierno) se ocupo de darle al instrumento, ya bastante desgastado, su tiro de gracia. La madera se encogio, se torcio, y la guitarra quedo imposible de tocar. Se podian sentir los trastes de metal sobrepasar el mango/diapason... un desastre. Para poder continuar Beatriz me regalo una Ibanez JS-100, y luego me pase al Stick y a la Warr.... y me olvide de la guitarra.
Dos años atras, limpiando un armario, encontre la guitarra otra vez.... cuando abri el estuche pude ver a que punto estaba maltratada, casi destruida. Encogida, golpeada, marcas por todos lados.... asi y todo la probe un poco, y la verdad es que seguia sondando como el primer dia, una perfecta mezcla entre dulzura y un terremoto producido por el paso de Godzilla... lo que me inspiro para mandarla a arreglar... como para sacarla de esa sentencia al Purgatorio no merecida donde habia encallado hacia años. Para ello me comunique con Stephane Denis, del Atelier de Lutherie SD, aqui en Montreal. Le dije que no estaba apurado, que se tomara el tiempo que necesitara. Tenia que reparar el cuerpo, alinear el mango de ebano, rellenar varios agujeros, cambiar los trastes, cambiar el puente, cambiar las clavijas, cuerdas, limpiar los circuitos, etc.
La semana pasada Stephane me llamo, para decirme que tenia que terminar este encargo rapido, dado que estaba muy enfermo y esta guitarra seria su ultimo trabajo, para entregar a su ultimo cliente en la vida.... me conto que estaba por partir por caminos que le eran desconocidos, y no sabia si iba a poder a sus actividades alguna vez... una gran tristeza, muchas emociones.
Hoy fui a buscar la guitarra, pintada ahora en negro opaco, y parece una mezcla entre su estilo original y una viola del futuro. Ahi arriba podran ver unas fotos de como era en sus mejores años, meta rock'n'roll y ahora con un look mas maduro, en las manos de un tipo bastante mas viejo, pero pronto para salir a tocar a mil en cualquier momento.
Por esta secuencia increible de eventos, se me ocurrio bautizar esta version del instrumento "Guitarra del fin del mundo", y me comprometo a aprender a tocarla otra vez, para que vuelva a vivir sus mejores momentos.
